Dungeon Dive

by Rohan M Vider

  Aveyad’s starburst has hit Sufalyx for 20 damage (divine). Remaining: 180 / 1200 HP.

  Behind the single starburst, another long trail of starbursts and shock bolts followed. He would not reach the inquisitor. He would not be able to claim any consolation from the battle. Juldviza will not be pleased. Sufalyx shuddered inwardly at the thought of reporting his failure to his liege.

  He sighed and resigned himself to his fate. It was over. But he would have his revenge, he vowed. If not today, then in the future. He was an immortal, after all.

  Someday, somehow, he would make Eld and his minions pay.

  Chapter 18

  Eld’s devil’s bargain. This is the name of the pact made between Eld and the demon overlords. For the demons, Eld created dungeons, pockets in Myelad’s physical plane where demons could temporarily escape the Abyss and manifest. In exchange for which, the demons bound themselves to the Rules and became players in the Game.

  It is self-evident, why the demons—eager for any opportunity to escape the Abyss—accepted Eld’s devil’s bargain. What is less clear, is why Eld offered them the bargain. After all, the demons were defeated and imprisoned. Eld had no need to offer them a chance to escape the Abyss.

  Perhaps it was because Eld foresaw the need for the distraction the dungeons provided to players. Or perhaps it was to fuel the birth of a new type of civilisation, one founded on essence technology. Or perhaps it was because he realised the demons could never be contained indefinitely in the Abyss, not without them voluntarily binding themselves to the Game. —Kel Maldax, Game scholar.

  The Ilenmon Dungeon Dive party has killed the demon captain, Sufalyx. Congratulations!

  The portal to the second floor has been unlocked!

  The portal back to the first floor has been unlocked!

  Warning: The first floor has not been cleared, demonic minions remain.

  Congratulations! The party has accumulated 1,100 essence crystals and completed the quest: Dungeon Dive.

  Talia has gained a level!

  Aveyad has gained a level!

  Lera has gained a level!

  Battle Log (Ilenmon Dungeon Dive, Final Chamber)

  The battle has ended.

  Combat results

  Hostiles encountered: 20 minotaur knights, 20 dryads, 1 demon captain.

  Hostiles killed: 20 minotaur knights, 20 dryads, 1 demon captain.

  Party members: 4 remaining.

  Floor status: 77% complete.

  Primary objective: 1,100 / 1,000 essence crystals gathered.

  Aveyad rushed to Talia, ignoring the corpse of the demon knight which lay nearby. He flung himself down at her side, fighting the sudden fear that clogged his heart. He knew she lived. Her status in the battlegroup assured him of that much. But at the sight of her still form, rational thought fled and he nearly choked up with terror. She is alive, he reminded himself.

  Her breathing was shallow, and her wounds bled profusely. Her armour was pitted and scarred, ripped open in places. Not even the magically resistant orichalcum armour had been able to protect her from the demon’s wrath. She was dangerously close to death. But alive, he reminded himself again. He laid trembling hands to her wounds and, calling on Eld’s aid, began to heal her with lay hands.

  As his God’s life-giving essence flowed into her, he stared down at Talia’s pale, near-bloodless face and wondered at the strange fluttering in the pit of his stomach.

  Before he could dwell too much further on it, her eyes blinked open, and she stared up at him. For a long-drawn-out breath, the two gazed at each other. “Are you alright?” he asked, suddenly nervous. Her lips parted.

  Aveyad did not get to hear what she was about to say. The moment was broken as a shining presence entered his mind. “Well done, my champion. Well done.” Eld’s voice whispered through his mind, bathing him in the God’s benevolent warmth. “Rest now, Aveyad. Your trials this day are done.” Eld’s presence faded, and left an afterglow of hope and energy within him. He looked at Talia, but her eyes had closed again as she was pulled into her own commune with their God.

  Aveyad glanced back at Lera and Elias, who had run up behind, and hovered anxiously as they waited for news on Talia. “She will recover,” he assured them. “Her injuries were bad, but we got to her in time. She is in commune with Eld now.” He stood up and, turning to face the pair squarely, clasped hands briefly with each. “Good job, my friends. We have fulfilled our mission, and Eld is pleased.”

  The two bowed their heads, gratified that their God had noticed their efforts on his behalf. At the scuff of a boot behind him, Aveyad swung round. Talia’s commune was over, and she had pulled herself up. Stubborn woman, he thought. Her eyes drooped with exhaustion and her face was ashen. She stood—if barely—leaning heavily on Judgement for support. She clutched the blade with one white knuckled grip while her other hand rested on the injured leg and continued the healing with lay hands.

  Aveyad ignored Talia’s questionable decision to get up. She wouldn’t listen anyway. “How bad is the leg?” he asked instead.

  She grimaced. “I can walk,” Talia said firmly. She hesitated, then added reluctantly, “But I don’t think, I can fight. Not very well, at least. Not enough to perform the same trick on the magma elementals anyway. How much essence do you have left?”

  He returned her grim look. “Not enough to take on the elementals.”

  Talia nodded. “There is no helping it then. We rest and heal up today. And on the morrow we clear out the rest of the dungeon on our way out.”

  ✽✽✽

  Amidst the ruins of the final chamber, the party erected their camp. Their mood was sombre and reflective. It had only been two days since they had entered the dungeon, yet so much had changed. Two of the party had been killed. Each one of them had gone through their own trials, and been brought closer to death and destruction than ever before.

  In many ways, this mission has been a baptism for all of us, thought Aveyad, especially Talia and me. Only now did he truly understand the harsh realities of the Game, and the toll it claimed in lives. His thoughts drifted to Alok and Galian. He had not gotten to know either of the young elves very well, but both had seemed earnest young men who had believed in Crotana and what it stood for. Would they be happy with what we’ve accomplished here? He hoped so. Despite the high price the party had paid, Aveyad believed they had accomplished good, gathering the essence crystals Crotana so desperately needed. Crotana, which was the beacon of hope for the rest of Myelad. And which was very much imperilled right now.

  The journey had also changed something between him and Talia. Their… friendship—was that what it was? —had grown. She was less an enigma to him than before. He almost felt like he understood her, what drove her, and the strange brittleness that she sometimes exhibited. In a stark moment of self-understanding, he realised he wanted to know more; he wanted to know her better. His gaze sidled to her. Could he be—

  “What?” snapped Talia, a slight frown marring her face. The two stood at the edge of their makeshift camp, where they studied the final chamber. The oh-so-familiar irritation colouring her voice jerked him out of his wandering thoughts and pulled him back to the present. Embarrassed, Aveyad realised he had been staring. He shrugged off her question and after turning away, asked the first thing that came to mind, “Is that the entrance to the second floor, do you think?”

  Talia did not respond immediately. Feeling her considering gaze on the back of his head, Aveyad stared fixedly at the portal and pretended a level of interest that he did not feel. As her eyes continued to linger, he felt the heat rise to his face. He almost turned around and confessed—he was not sure about what—but it felt like something he ought to do.

  His gaze darted to her. She returned a mildly curious look. She surely realised he had avoided the question and must be wondering why. If he knew Talia, at some point, likely at a most inconvenient one, she was sure to interrogate him about it. Eventually, Talia relented and said, �
�It is. Shall we go inspect it?”

  Grateful for the chance to escape, he said, “Yes! Let’s.” Taking long strides, he hurried ahead to the entranceway.

  He reached the portal and waited for Talia. Only after a moment, did he remember her injured leg. He swung around. She limped awkwardly towards him, pain marring her face with every step. His face reddened. Idiot! He hurried back to her. “Sorry, I forgot about your leg. Can I help—”

  She waved away his concern and kept limping stoically towards the portal. He kept pace beside her, feeling more the fool now for his sudden interest in what was after all, an everyday magical portal.

  ✽✽✽

  That night the party set no guards. With the demon lord defeated they were safe as could be in the dungeon, and all four were exhausted. They hoped to enjoy a well-deserved rest and begin afresh the next day.

  But it was not to be. Sometime after midnight, Eld’s voice startled both champions awake. “Arise champions! The dwarven company outside is under attack. My sight there has been blocked. One of Misteria’s champions is in play, I fear. Fly now to their aid, before it is too late.”

  New quest received!

  Quest 2: Save Captain Thadeak’s men.

  Objective: You have been tasked by Eld himself to save the ambushed dwarven company outside Ilenmon dungeon. This is a time-sensitive quest.

  Rank: Rare.

  Reward: unknown.

  Here ends Book 1 of Tales from the Gods’ Game.

  Aveyad and Talia’s adventures in Myelad continue in The Siege of Wyvern Peak.

  Coming Soon!

  I hope you enjoyed this book and would be grateful if you share your thoughts. Click here to leave a review.

  Many thanks,

  Rohan!

  Afterword

  Please take the time to leave a review on www.amazon.com and click here to subscribe to my mailing list for news on future books in the series.

  Thank you for reading Dungeon Dive. If you enjoyed the story, you are sure to enjoy Crota, The Gods’ Game, Volume I, and The Labyrinth, the Gods’ Game, Volume II.

  If you enjoyed the story, but not the RPG elements so much, then keep an eye out for Free Agent, The Myelad Chronicles, Book 1. It is an adaptation of The Gods’ Game into more traditional fantasy, and is scheduled for release in early 2020.

  Please feel free to drop me a message on anything related to the Gods’ Game or otherwise:).

  I hope you enjoyed the book!

  Best Regards,

  Rohan

  rohan.vider@gmail.com

  List of Abilities & Spells

  (AOE = area of effect).

  Buffs

  Barkskin: mutates caster’s skin, providing natural armour.

  Blend: hides the caster within shadows.

  Eagle eye: boosts the player’s perception and ability to detect hidden objects (personal).

  Earth shield: magical shield (personal, earth).

  Haste: increases a single target’s movement speed.

  Marksman’s sight: increases the caster’s accuracy with bows (personal).

  Stealth: concealment ability.

  Stygian shield: movable magical shield that replicates an actual tower shield.

  Crowd Control (Disabling)

  Caster’s bane: drains a single target of essence (class ability).

  Charge: propels the caster forward, knocking down all in his path.

  Ensnaring arrows: immobilises (AOE).

  Ice storm: disables and damages creatures with ice projectiles (AOE).

  Knockdown: melee attack that knocks down a single target.

  Stun: melee attack that stuns a single target.

  Stunning arrow: stuns a single target.

  Damage

  Chaos orb: ranged attack that applies debuffs to the target.

  Cleave: a powerful melee attack.

  Deadshot: ranged attack targeting specific limbs.

  Divine orb: ranged attack that bounces from target to target.

  Flaming arrow: arrow that does fire damage.

  Flurry of blows: series of fast melee attacks.

  Focused shot: ranged attack with increased accuracy.

  Hellfire: inflicts chaos damage over time to the target.

  Shock bolt: air magic projectile.

  Starburst: divine projectile.

  Whirlwind: a sweeping melee attack that hits all hostiles surrounding the fighter.

  Healing

  Heal: ranged healing (divine).

  Healing aura: regeneration (heal over time) (AOE).

  Lay hands: touch-based heal (conduit).

  Revitalise: heal allies around caster (AOE).

  Non-combat (cannot be used in combat)

  Basic scrying: magical observation of a remote location.

  Invigorating aura: stamina regeneration aura and movement buff (AOE).

  Summon

  Banish: unsummons a single summoned creature.

  Celestial companion: calls forth a bonded divine spirit (class ability).

  Utility

  Delayed casting: allows the caster to create and hold the weaves of a spell to be triggered instantaneously when desired.

  Mirrored selves: creates illusions of the caster.

  Truesight: penetrate illusions and see in the dark.

  List of Key Gods, People, & Places

  Gods & Demons

  Eld: One of the twelve Gods, and the one to whom Crotana and its champions were pledged.

  Misteria: One of the twelve Gods whose domain was an island west of Crotana.

  Sufalyx: Demon lord in charge of the first floor of the Ilenmon dungeon.

  Xetil: One of the twelve Gods whose domain lay to the south of Crotana.

  People

  Alok: Elven ranger.

  Aveyad: Protagonist, champion of Eld.

  Elias: Elven ranger.

  Galian: Elven ranger.

  Lera: Elven ranger.

  Rolan: Marshall in Crotana’s military.

  Talia: Protagonist, champion of Eld.

  Thadeak: Dwarven captain.

  Sirius: Armsmaster in the Training Hall.

  Zarr: King of Crotana.

  Places

  Abyss: Region in the spirit plane where demons have been imprisoned.

  Black Sea: Name given to the seas on Crotana’s northwest coast.

  Crota: Capital city of Crotana.

  Crotana: Country on Myelad pledged to Eld.

  Godshome: Home of the Gods and other divines in the spirit plane.

  Ilenmon: dungeon in the north of Crotana.

  Myelad: World of the Gods’ Game.

  Pit Chamber: Chamber in Ilenmon.

  Skarral Mountain: Mountain range bordering Crotana to the north, west, and south.

  Wyvern Peak: Coastal fort on Crotana’s northern boundary.

  Military Units

  First Apprentice Squad: The squad of Skarral Rangers commanded by Corporal Galian.

  North Core Seventh Infantry Company: A dwarven heavy infantry company, commanded by Captain Thadeak Orlaxe.

  Mountain Ranger: A ranged combat class that specialises in archery, and survival skills in rugged terrain.

  Skarral Rangers: An elite company of rangers, formed entirely of players, and commanded by Champion Calistra Silvan.

  Southern Host: The army tasked with protecting Crotana’s southern border, commanded by Knight-Marshall Rolan Towrend.